Lull after the storm

Loud claims by a diving champion about actor Abhishek Bachchan lying about doing the death defying stunts in Raavan seem to have gone silent all of a sudden. Read on...

Raavan

Loud claims by a diving champion about actor Abhishek Bachchan lying about doing the death defying stunts in Raavan seem to have gone silent all of a sudden. The diver, MS Balram, in an interview to a publication earlier this week, had claimed that the much talked about stunt in Raavan, where Abhishek Bachchan was seen diving off a cliff from 80 ft height, was actually done by him.

Speaking a day later to HT City from Bangalore, Balram says, “All I’m saying is that I was a part of a team of professional divers hired by the crew of Raavan. I’m not saying a word about Abhishek.”

This sudden change of heart has led many to wonder if the diver has now been paid to now dilute his allegations or if it was a publicity gimmick to begin with. Balram defends his change of stance by saying, “The constant media queries have become a headache. I am a diving instructor and I am having trouble focussing on my classes since the past four days. I’m not objecting now. I wish the film’s team well and will not talk on this.”

While some say Abhishek wrongfully took credit for the stunt, others ask why Balram chose to stay silent for six months and decided to speak only a day after the movie’s release. “People, read Abhi’s original interview — he clearly said there was a special diver, but he also tried the stunt because he was excited about it!” SnehM blogs. “If Abhishek’s taken that poor man’s credit, it’s unethical,” Guro12 tweeted. “I wonder if this stuntman was paid earlier to make the allegations or has now been paid to shut up,” asks Bachchanfan56.